NurseLaureli

Hi Patty...congratulations on your May surgery date. We have the same date! Only 8 more days! Those new clothes will fit in no time!

Hi all May Bandsters! I am glad to hear that those of you who have had your surgery are doing pretty well. Good luck to everyone tomorrow. So, I have a question. In order to get ready and motivated (and to keep my nerves from driving me insane while waiting for my surgery), I went shopping and bought a "goal" outfit. It was nice to buy something of the rack instead of going to a "big girl" store. My outfit is hanging in my closet so I see it everytime I walk in there. Anyone else do anything special as motivation?

53. To not be so stinkin tired and achy all of the time. 54. To have a lap for my daughter to sit in again!

Hi Marci, I am not yet banded but will be on 5/14. I just wanted to say Happy Bandiversary! 80lbs lost is superb! I hope to be like you this time next year. You are an inspiration to us soon to be bandsters! Keep up the great work. You'll get past the junk food cravings, though I now it's hard to do. Congratulations on your weightloss so far!

No pre-op diet required for me. Like some others I've seen, only one day of clear liquids the day prior to surgery.

I need some advice. My doctor doesn't require a pre-op diet, only Clear liquids the day before surgery. I was kinda hoping to jump start my weightloss so I was thinking of starting my own pre-op diet, but I am not sure what to do. I thought about doing just Atkins so I can still actually eat, or just doing Protein shakes for a week before surgery. Did any of you out there not have a pre-op diet and start your own? What would you do? Thanks!

MusicalMomma, So sorry it took so long to answer your question...my dr. only requires Clear liquids the day before surgery; however, I think that I may try doing Protein shakes for the week before surgery. Don't know how well I'll do, but we'll see.

Congratulations on getting your date!

Congratulations on being approved! It is the greatest feeling (I just got my call letting me know I was approved and I am so happy too)!! Good luck with everything...I hope you get your date soon!

Awww...thanks so much everyone for your support. I know that it is normal to be scared at this point but I have totally made up my mind to go through with the surgery. I have been researching this for 2 years and I'm ready. I am SO stinkin' excited right now. I really am glad that I found LBT...everyone here has been so great and supportive. I'm sure to have more questions as I start my journey and I know that I can find the answers here!

Just got my date...5/14! I am so excited. Congrats to all of you on your surgery dates!

OMG! I got the call from my doctor's office today! My surgery date is scheduled for 5/14!! I go for my pre-op labs, to see the nutrionist for a final visit, and for my "glamour shots" (my doc takes before and after pics) on 5/9. I am so excited, but then again, all of a sudden I am really scared. I can't believe this is finally happening! :clap2:

:clap2: CONGRATULATIONS!!:clap2: July will be here in no time!

Hi Cara...congratulations on getting approved! I'm sure you are excited! My husband says the same thing too...he is afraid that I'm going to get skinny and leave him. He said the same thing too when I graduated from nursing school...he said I was going to leave him for a doctor (if he only knew them like I do, he'd know for sure I wouldn't date a doctor!) I agree that it is about insecurities. I wouldn't leave my husband, it took me too long to get him trained right!! (just kidding!)

I only had a one visit psych eval too, and he told me in his office that he approved me and was sending a letter to my surgeon saying I was a good candidate. My co-pay was $35. I didn't have to pay anything extra for the letter to the surgeon. I would shop around if I were you. Do you have to use those listed by your surgeon, or can you pick your own? Also, are you covered by insurance so that you can have your eval covered too...that may help with the cost.

Gosh I hope so....this time last year I had made it to onderland(barely...199 but I was there!!)doing WW. I am anxiously awaiting insurance approval...they said I would know it two weeks!

Good luck...we will all be thinking of you and wishing you a speedy recovery! I'm still doing all the pre-op stuff and hope to be on the banded side soon. Congratulations!!!

Oh, Oh! I LOVE MySpace...it is SO addicting. Here is my address: http://www.myspace.com/nurselaureli2006 I like new friends!

WooHoo! I FINALLY got my psych eval scheduled. Just as I was researching other doctors, the one I had initially tried to contact finally called me back. :clap2: I have by psych eval scheduled for 3/27. So, after the nutrition class on 3/22 and the psych eval on 3/27, my surgeon can submit my info to the insurance company for approval. They said my insurance (United Healthcare) typically takes 2 weeks to approve. THEN, maybe I'll have a surgery date. I am so excited!!

Good Luck! I hope everything goes well for you. I was SO nervous the day of my consultation and excited that the day had finally come. I hope you get your surgery date soon!

Thank you all so much for your responses. It helps so much to know that there are others out there that have the same questions and are experiencing the same things that I am. Everyone at this site has been so helpful. As far as my progress, I am still trying to get an appointment for the psych eval. I cannot seem to get ahold of anyone at their office. If I can't get them by tomorrow, I think I'll call my insurance and find my own doctor to do my psych eval instead of the doctor the surgeon has referred me to. He said I could if I wanted anyway, but I thought I would use his referral as I thought it would speed things up...seems like it is just slowing me down. GRR! Anyway...good luck everyone. I am rooting for you all!

Well, finally the day came and I got to meet with my doctor for the very first time. I absolutely love him...he has such a great bedside manner. He took time to answer all of my questions (all 20 something of them) and spent more than an hour with me explaining the lapband process and was actually happy to see me pull out a whole list of questions! :faint: So, now I have a class that I have to attend on 3/22 that covers nutrition and exercise. It is a requirement and cost $300, which is not covered by my insurance. The class is from 8:30am-1:30pm and apparently we are supposed to cover pre- and post-op nutrition information. There is also information regarding exercise...has anyone else had to attend something like this? Also, my insurance requires a psych eval. I have called the office of the doctor I have been referred to and left two messages as we seem to be playing phone tag. Can anyone who has had to have a psych eval tell me what I might expect? Seems like the ball is finally rolling...:clap2:

uhmmm....okay, so I found a thread on this subject in the Labband FAQs section right after I posted this...don't I feel like a dummy. Sorry...if you can think of anything that might be missing from the FAQs thread, please let me know. Thanks again!

Hi everyone! I am not yet banded but I have been researching the band and reading this board for quite sometime and was wondering if I could get some help. After what seems like forever I am finally going for my first consulation with the doctor on 3/7/07 (:dance:YEAH!!). I am trying to come up with a list of questions to ask him (i.e. pre/post op diet he recommends, fill costs, type of band used...etc). The problem is, I have read so much information, I think I have become super-saturated and just can't think straight anymore and I am not sure what to ask. What questions did you ask your doctor, or wish you would have asked your doctor, about the band and the whole banding process? I tried to use the search feature to see if a thread was already open on this subject but I couldn't seem to get it to work. Thanks in advance!!

Neal, OMG! :faint: You are awesome and such an inspiration! I have seen some of your posts on different threads and you are so very helpful whenever someone has a question. As a newbie here starting in this lapband journey (which seems like it won't start soon enough!), I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience with everyone.:mad: